In Teen Angst? Naaah... by Ned Vizzini, Ned faces a lot of problems associated with coming of age. He ends up solving some of these problems, but not all of the problems.

   One of the problems in Ned's life is that he is being more rebellious. For example, when he wanted to go to a vacation to Cancun for 1 week and his parents said no, he made a plan. He was going to trick them by saying he was going to Jame's house. Then he would run off to the senior trip and come back 1 week later. However, because of some social problems between these 2 periods, he ends up selling away his ticket to Cancun.

   Another problem in Ned's life is that he is always doing favors for other people who he does not know well. For example, he did a favor for Erin. The favor involved running 3 miles in a downpour with sandals and a t-shirt. He accepted it knowing what he had to do, and he ended up feeling really bad afterwards. 

   Another problem in Ned's life is that he makes a lot of wrong choices. For example, he jumped turnstiles for a whole month of summer. He did not get caught and thought that he was very slick. However, one day while he was jumping turnstiles with his friend, 2 police officers caught him. They gave him a fine of  $60. That was exactly the amount of money he would have used if he actually paid, and the police did not even know how many times he jumped turnstiles. He ended up feeling happy that the police caught him, and I thought this was weird.

   In all, I think that while Ned matures he faces a lot of problems. He solves most of them, but he never ends up solving some of them. I hope that I won't have any of his problems in high school.

Coming of Age

Coming of Age book

   In Teen Angst?Naaah.. by Ned Vizzini, Ned explains his life in high school and how he matured. Ned was a smart student that always studied. When he was in 7th grade he studied for the SHSAT. He studied an entire vocabulary book that contained a million words. He also studied and made flash cards and he did that EVERY day. This shows how serious he is about the test. When the test came, he got a perfect score. However in high school things start to change. He became more social and started going out with his friends. After 2 years, has smoked pot and drank alcohol one time. He argued with his mom about his curfew and this was a large change from who he used to be. He matured a lot, but his likes and dislikes still stayed the same.

North Korea Missile Failure 4/14/12

   In North Korea, there were many attempts to launch a missile. However it failed multiple times. Launching missiles repeatedly is very dangerous. It can fall on a city. It can explode randomly. They should think more about what's going wrong and try to stop it, then launch it when they think it's really ready.
   Launching a missile is very dangerous. It only lasted 4 minutes in air. If parts fall off while it's in the air, it can destroy a lot of property. Also, launching a missile repeatedly, fixing it by trial and error is hard. There are a lot of ways that it failed. They should do research first, and launch it. They might be test launching a nuclear rocket, and that is not good. Nuclear rockets are dangerous.
   What if the rocket falls on a city? It can fall anywhere. However, if it falls on a city, it will killed thousands of people. It can burst apart in mid air and the parts will lands all over the world. They should not launch that rocket all together.
   If they're going to launch a rocket for a different purpose, then they should not use trial and error. They should look at what's wrong and try to fix it. Or they can do research on what's wrong. they have to find other ways to solve the problem other than trial and error.
   In conclusion, they should not fire any missiles. Also, they should stop nuclear testing and other similar tests.

Plagiarize 4/12/12

Question 1: what did the student do wrong? what could he/she have done to include the source correctly?
   The student used parts of the original text in his own post without citing the source. he/she could have put the website where he/she got it, then put parentheses with the line where he/she got it. ex. (10).
Question 2: In Vincent Van Gogh: Starry Night by an unknown author, he/she expresses what everyone sees when they first view the painting. "there is the night sky filled with swirling clouds, stars ablaze in their own luminescence, and a bright cresent moon (18-20)
Question 3: 3 ways to avoid plagiarizing: read, then write based on what you remember. Always cite the source. Remember to include quotations.

Homework due 4/16 #1

   My 2 favorite blog posts from ms Galang's list are George's response on irony, and Stephanie's response to Much ado about nothing. They were both about a play.
   What I liked about Stephanie's post is that she explained that the play was more modernized. No one would know if it was modernized or not if she didn't explain it. I also liked how she described the sonnets, the music and the stage. she showed a lot of interest and thought that the stage was more modernized.
   What I liked about George's response is that he explained the definition of irony. Some people don't know what irony means, and explaining it will save a lot of time and will help readers understand. Also, i liked how he gave examples of irony. He gave examples in act 1 scene 2 and it was early on in the book, so people won't need to know much about the background.
   I can improve my blog entries by explaining vocabulary. I can also improve by giving examples, and explaining what I am writing in my blog entries.

Much Ado about nothing

Dear Friend

   I watched what ado about nothing this week. It was inside a cafe which was nice because I can smell food. There was a large area with lots of chairs and about 3 tables on top of an elevated circle. There was a large circle with a light behind it and I think it was to show when it is night time. There were many actors and they all seem happy and enthusiastic about performing.
   The part that surprised me the most is when the antagonist sits on a table holding a knife. He takes the knife and slams it point first on the top of the table. I thought the knife was dull, but it was not. Also, if I was the women sitting next to him, I would be nervous because he i holding a sharp knife. I wonder if the table has a large indent on it now...
   The part that I liked the most is when the women called the officer an ass. It was so unexpected and was funny seeing the officer's reaction. Also, it was such a weird word to say in her situation.
   In all, I liked the play and it was fun. I think you should go and see it too.

Reading response 3/14/12

   In Romeo and Juliet I found a bit of irony in it. Romeo goes to the party to see Rosaline. However, he sees Juliet and falls in love with her. This changed his reason for going to the party in the first place. Also, he said that he cannot love anyone other than Rosaline, but now I know it is not true. There seems to be a lot of irony in Romeo and Juliet.
   The most ironic part was when Romeo found out that the girl he is in love with is a capulet. It was a bit funny falling in love with the daughter of your enemy. I wonder what they were thinking when they realized this. They must be doubting themselves and probably were thinking about that for a long time.

Romeo and Juliet reading response 3/9/12

   So far, my favorite character is Benvolio. One of the reasons is because he was nice and tried to cheer Romeo up. Also he told Romeo to stop thinking it's the end because Rosaline didn't want to marry you. Also I like how he warns Romeo about love and how it can help you and hurt you.Also, he was with Romeo a lot and seemed to go with him everywhere. It's hard to have a friend who will go anywhere with you and even get in trouble with you.
   My least favorite character so far is Tybalt. He seems very mad that Romeo is in the party. Capulet told him to calm down and do not disturb him, but he still insists on trying to harm him. I think he should just calm down, because he doesn't hold a personal grudge against him, and Romeo was not going to create trouble. He seems like a loose cannon and I don't like him very much because people should think about their problems and not let their feelings get the best of them.

letter to friend about Romeo and Juliet

Dear ------

I saw the play Romeo and Juliet. The play was funny, but Sampson was too perverted -.- . I think that Gregory balances him out though.Also, I was looking forward to the fight that the montague and capulet were going to have. However I the scene with Romeo bored me, and so did the speech the prince gave. To be honest, I don't think people will stop fighting because of a speech. It was a pretty good experience watching the play. I suggest you memorize the vocabulary terms because if not, you will be confused. It felt really awkward when Sampson was biting his thumb. Also, it was weird thinking that montague's wife is going to fight, because she doesn't look like the fighting kind. Overall, I think it was a good play.

Reading respnse on poetry

   In Starry, Starry Night by Don McLean, it shows what he is thinking about when he sees Gogh's paintings and how he interprets his feelings from looking at the paintings. The theme is about his paintings and how he suffered for his sanity. It is also about what the writer thinks about his paintings and his life.
   In one of the lyrics, he says "how you suffered for your sanity/ how you tried to set them free" it shows that the writer thought that Gogh tried regain his sanity by painting. You can tell he thought of that because he says "how you tried to set them free". That says that the writer thought that Gogh tried to "set them free" by painting. This means that the writer is interpreting his feelings.
    In another one of the lyrics ""Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, Swirling clouds of violet haze/ Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue/ Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain/ weathered faces lined in pain/ Are smoothed beneath the artist's loving hand", he talks about 2 paintings Goth made.
One is called "vase with 12 sunflowers" and the other one is called "potato eaters". The lyrics express the paintings and the writers thoughts of it. This shows that the writer is writing about what he thinks of Van Gogh's paintings.
   This text connects to the painter, Van gogh. It is about his paintings and it's also about how he was in a  asylum. It also reveals that the writer really admires Van Gogh because he wrote about hhim and his paintings. It also shows that the writer has a good understanding of Van Gogh.

Chocolate

Sonnet

I have looked forever for this great taste

It turns seconds to minutes into days

I try hard not to put it into waste

I look at it again, it’s on display

I try to fight myself, but I can’t help

I take a piece from it, there’s still some left

The taste makes it the hardest thing I dealt

I take another small piece, it’s not theft

Now do not judge, I’m sure you can relate

That time where you go against yourself again

To experience your taste buds elate

 Taste it, don’t you want to eat it again

It is the best thing in the world although

I know it cannot stay, for all it’s worth

What is poetry?

What is poetry?

Poetry is feelings from the heart

Thoughts from your mind

Ink from your pen

Lead from your pencil

Poetry is different 

For everyone

Everywhere

Poetry depends on your perspective

Your thoughts

Your ideas

What is a double rainbow?

What is a double rainbow?

Is it a a gift from a god

Is it a natural miracle

Is it a symbol of happiness

Is it a giant slide

Is it an experiment gone wrong

Is it a good sign

Maybe we'll never know

What happens to poem

What happens to you when you die?

Do you float

like a boat
Or does everything go dark
like a piece of bark
Do you fly off into the endless sky
like a friend of mine


Or do you disappear
We will never know for sure

Essay on Artist Picasso

   Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born in Oct 25, 1881. He was born in Molaga in Spain. His father was Jose Ruiz Blasco. His mother was Maria Picasso. In 1891 Picasso's younger sister died from Diphteria. This disturbed him a lot and made him express this sadness in his art. When he was 14 he went to school of fine arts. Then he went to Paris and got a contract to make paintings. He had a love affair, Casagemas. However Casagemas committed suicide and Picasso felt another loss. In 1902 he began sharing a house with Max Jacob, another artist. Soon he married Olga and made a painting about her playing volleyball in the beach. However he left and married a 17 year old girl named Marie Therese. However he kept abondonig his wives and going after others. His last and final wife was Jacqueline Roque.

   Picasso's paintings were sad from the beginning after the death of his younger sister. However his paintings got brighter after being married. When he divorced or abandoned his wife his paintings got sad abd dreary. Most of his paintings from the begining was long and pasty. Some of his pintings were none human like. Whenever he gets a new wife he feels happy. Also, he seems very expressive about his ideals.  Piccasso went through a lot of types of paintings. He went from painting images to cubes and geometric shapes to ceremics. Also his paintings look deolate and has muffled colors.Some of his paintings however are realistic and some are dreamy. There are a lot of overlapping strokes.
   In The painting above "Large nude in red armchair" I think it shows a women relaxing after a day of hard work. It shows how some people just want to sit down and relax. Also it shows the stress the women in the age period felt. His paintings are very provocative.

There night be a lot of spelling mistakes because I am typing on a Laptop and I am not used to it.

  

Rangers Apprentice reading response

   In Rangers Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan, Will has a lot of problems. He angered his friend Horace, has to deal with Halt, and people are getting suspicious about him. Will is chosen to be a ranger. Rangers are people who spy on enemy camps, and are best with the bow and are experts at hiding.
   Will angered his friend Horace, because Horace had a bad day and Will started to tease him. Both of them tease each other a lot but, after having a bad day Horace did not want to be teased. However Will manages to regain his trust by saving him from a wild boar. Horace has more respect for Will and soon they stopped teasing each other and became best friends.
   Will has to deal with his instructor Halt who is famous for showing no emotion. However little by little Will manages to take him away from his shell and starts to make him someone who can anyone can " able to talk to". After 2 months, Halt opens up to him and finally trusts him. Halt trains Will by telling him to practice and practice. He also manages to teach Will a lot about being a ranger.
   The people in his town are suspicious of him. He became a ranger and people did not trust rangers. People had the wrong idea that rangers were sorcerers. However it was their ability to blend into their surroundings that made them suspicious. Will did not let them know the truth, because the myth will help them foil enemy spies.
   In all, Will had a lot of problems but he managed to solve most of them with time. It shows that problems will not always be there forever.

Inheritance reading response 1/12/12

*Spoiler Alert*

   In Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, Eragon has to take over a city. He is very brave because he had to go through a secret tunnel and fight off an entire army.

   Eragon and his 12 guards found a tunnel and followed it. It was very brave of him to do that, because he might be ambushed on the other side. In the tunnel there was a lot of magical traps that can pierce their wards ( magical shields). Casting spells or using spells to protect you consumes energy from your body, if you are out of energy, then you die. However Eragon the elves have more energy than a regular human being, because of their bond with the dragons. Most of the traps had metal that were designed to cut through or drain wards. One elf died, when a bunch of spikes came out of the floor and rose upward. His wards protected him, and he floated for a second, but then he ran out of energy and was stabbed by the spikes (very Marioish).

   Eragon realized it was a trap and ran to the exit. After he got out, he was surrounded by the entire army. He fought through half the army and managed to get away from the ambush.

   Eragon was really brave. Anyone who was surrounded by 10000 people would surrender, but then again he is not a regular human and he has a dragon.

Reading Response

 *Spoiler Alert "the forth book of the series Eragon, the movie was bad, but the book was good"*

    What I noticed about a lot of deep emotions in Inheritance by Christopher Paolini that we sometimes face. Emotions like Regret, deep despair, and vigilant. The main character Eragon is a dragon rider and is battling the Empire with the help of The Varden (resistance) the elves, the dwarfs, and the Urgals (brutes with horns looks like a miniature version of a minotaur) . They all have one goal: to kill Galbatorix, a dragon rider that committed cruel crimes and drove the dragons to  near extinction. However, the people of the Empire (Galbatorix's Country) don't have enough power to resist Galbatorix.
    Eragon feels regret for killing. Every time he sees someone die he thinks "that can be me" and is revolted by the idea of killing people even if it is enemy troops. He kept thinking of himself as a murderer and wondered if anyone felt that way. He has dreams of battles and of the people he killed. He asked Arya, a female elf that he is friends with about her thoughts on this matter. However he found out that she killed because the purpose needed her to kill. However Eragon doesn't find that appeasing. He ponders for a reason to kill. Finally he finds a solution. He thought that he will only kill people that are a threat to him and/or his friends and alliance.
   Eragon feels deep despair when he thinks about his position. He was going against Galbatorix, a dragon rider who killed countless other dragon riders. He lived for hundreds of years and his strength only increased. He wonders, who is he to challange the most powerful person in all of Alagaesia? He also knows that if he failed, everyone in the Varden and their alliances will die. That is put a lot of sorrow into Eragon. He knows that everyone depended on him and that he was their hope and only survival.
   Eragon is vigilant. He surrounds himself with wards (shields) that deflect attacks and poison. He also has a sword Brisingr that can cut through most wards and can never get damaged. He stores energy, which is used for spells, in a belt with 13 jewels. He also opens his mind to take a look at his surroundings. Eragon is also faster and stronger than any human thanks to the spirit of the dragons. So it is  almost impossible for anyone other than elves and other dragon riders to kill him.
   In all, Eragon has a lot of deep emotions. He feels regret, deep sorrow, and is vigilant. So if you had to kill armies, be the center of hope, or be a prime target for assassins, you would probably feel what Eragon feels.